Tier V Sub Fighter
:The Tier V Sub Fighter or Eagle Ray Sub Fighter, as it was named by the UNSC, was the Granchio marine superiority fighter. First used in 2139 in the 4th and final Granchio Civil War by the Hives of Progress against the Granchio Conservancy Council. The same models would be used against the Covenant and the UNSC in later conflicts. Overview :The Eagle Ray Sub Fighter was an advanced machine designed for swift hit and run strikes on larger Sub Cruisers, such as the Type 1002 Marine Suppression Platform or the Tier H Assault Platform, and attacking marine infantry. Shaped like a Manta Ray the Tier V Sub Fighter is caperble of darting and dodging enemy munitions before attacking with either torpedoes or wing mounted cannons before moving out of range for another hit-and-run attack. The usual pilot is a sub caste of Marine requiring the Eagle Ray to process a pressurized control canopy, as well as a supply of air for the pilot. Capable of diving to depths of 700m the Eagle Ray is guided by a wide array of sensor apparatus allowing it to navigate at night or in deep water without having to used the high powered search lights mounted on the front of the vehicle. As well as its anti vehicle/infantry role the Eagle Ray also acts as reconnaissance and wildlife suppression due to its powerful armament and sensors. When attacked the Eagle Ray has the ability to emit a dark cloud of ink from rear mounted chambers as a smokescreen to escape or mount a counter attack. Construction :The Eagle Ray Sub-fighter is constructed from various materials to ensure that it can withstand environmental pressures and enemy projectiles. The chassis is constructed from Titanium to create a frame that is strong enough to resist enemy pressure. Layered on top of the base chassis is a steel coating further reinforcing the craft from high pressure if it should accidentally enter deep water. The final layer is a lightweight carbon steel, with a carbon content of 0.81%, to act as a durable yet light weight armour especially from bladed and cutting weapons such as those used by Granchio Barbarians. The control canopy is constructed from Perspex so that it can withstand small arms and more importantly the strain of pressure. Despite its relative strength this is considered the weakest part of the Eagle Ray Sub-fighter and both Soldier Granchio and Elite Rangers have used various melee weapons to cut through the canopy. :The internal structure is split into chambers with the canopy isolated from the ordinance storing 'wings' of the craft and the rear mounted energy cell used to propel the craft. The fuel cell chamber contains channels that hook up to the power source's exhaust emissions that carry the waste water away from the electrical cables to prevent the Sub-Fighter from shorting out. Exhaust from the fuel cell is isolated in specialized chambers arranged along the wings and can be ejected via pump-jets which also increase the sub-fighters speed for a short amount of time. In the ordinance chambers internal reinforcing was later introduced to protect the pilot from accidental detonation and those from the penetration of enemy fire into these chambers. Propulsion System :The main propulsion system for the Eagle Ray Sub Fighter comes from the revolving tail that is driven by an electrically powered turbine. This spinning tail acts in the same way as a surface boats propeller allowing a maintainable speed of 120mph in a straight line. When turning the Eagle Ray uses a pair of surface mounted air brakes which can be activated as a pair or one at a time. These brakes when activated singularly cause the craft to bank in the opposite direction allowing for quick cornering on a very small turning circle. :The Eagle Ray like many Covenant Vehicles had a boost system that increased the speed of the craft from 120mph to 165mph. This was achieved by jettisoning exhaust water from the back of the craft using pump-jets. This process requires the build up enough exhaust emissions from the Hydrogen Fuel Cell so the boost can only be operated after the chambers for storing the exhaust have been filled. The flight time of the Eagle Ray is around eleven hours until the fuel cell needs refuelling at one of the Hydrogen Processing Station or at a Basking Shark Carrier Sub. The refuelling process itself took around four minutes allowing for battle field recharging and rearming giving the pilots an edge against enemy vehicles that required longer periods to revitalize their power cells. Sensors :Due to the problems connected to navigating underwater even for a race as skilled as the Granchio, the Tier V Sub Fighter along with the majority of Granchio Vehicles had a wide array of sensors and equipment to aid them in navigation. The most important sensor was the SONAR which allowed the Granchio to navigate around obstacles and pick up the sounds of enemy ships moving on the surface. The gathered information was analyzed by on-board computers which gave the pilot information in conjunction with the other sensors. In addition to SONAR the Eagle Ray had a vibration sensor that measured the speed of currents as well as detecting the wake of boats and submarines. In effect the whole front half of the craft acted as a sensor with a similar system to the Lateral Line found on fish. Pitted areas near the brakes and either side of the command cockpit supplied most of the data to these sensors with the number decreasing towards the back of the craft due to disturbance from the propeller. :The other sensors carried by the Eagle Ray were also important for the crafts survival against environmental pressure and enemy targets. There were four pressure sensors for example that measured the force of the surrounding water and a second two that fired micro-pulses through the crafts wings to measure the armor plate and chassis integrity. The final sensor was a thermal imaging camera that allowed reconnaissance craft to survey areas of sea bed for hidden infantry and locate the working propulsion devices of enemy vehicles. This sensor had a very short range and was later removed in 2484AD by the Command system due to the majority of targets having very low body temperatures making thermal imaging ineffective. ‘Landing’ Systems :While the Eagle Ray Submarine was built for durability this didn’t relegate the need for maintenance and for refuelling. Landing varied depending on the target site but all required precision and skill especially when a crash could cause the large amount of ordinance to detonate. When refuelling at a Hydrogen Fuel Centre the pilot would brake above the plant before having a worker hook up the fuel pump to the back of the vehicle. When leaving the fuel depot the pilot had to be careful not to hit the fuel tank as the Sub Fighter had a tendency to drop down before activating its fuel cell. :When landing at a Carrier Submarine or Submarine Pen the pilot had to locate a bay in the vessel or building before reducing the speed to a crawl to get into position. Then the soldiers and workers at the target would run a pair of rails out to the Eagle Ray and remove the wing mounted canons which were designed to be detachable, originally to enable the carrying of various payloads, and hooked to the rails. The pilot would then drive up the rails into the bay. In battlefield conditions the pilot would park under the carrier submarine and cranes built into the underside would pull the craft up before workers hooked up fuel lines and reloaded ammunition. While this method was faster it prevented the pilot from disembarking for food or rest which often caused fatigue and occasionally excessive paranoia among pilots. History :The Tier V Sub Fighter and the various models and variants have been in military service for around 500 human years. Like most Granchio vehicles they are constantly upgraded and tested with those considered inefficient retired from active service. While upgrades have been made to the landing and propulsion systems the structure and chassis has remained relatively unchanged. Below is the service list over 500 years of the Tier V Sub Fighter; ::Tier V.5 Sub Fighter Prototype (2139 – 2144) ::Tier V1/2 Sub Fighter (2147 – 2251) ::Tier V1.1/2.1 Sub Fighter (2248 – 2305) – Introduction of Rail Models ::Tier V1.2/2.2 Sub Fighter (2291 – 2484) – Advanced Sensor Suite ::Tier V1.3/2.3 Sub Fighter (2471 – 2551) – Advanced Propulsion Model ::Tier V1.4/2.4 Sub Fighter (2548 – Current) – New Defensive Models ::Tier V3 Advanced Sub Fighter (2553 – Current) :: Tier V4 Sub Fighter Bomber (2491 – Current) :: Tier V5 Kamikaze Fighter (2523 – Current) Biological Influences :The Granchio Researchers often gain inspiration for vehicles from the species that they have on the planet or in reserves. Inspiration for the Tier V Sub Fighter comes from the giant aerosaurs that cruise through the surface water of Clax. The species uses its large wings, originally used for flying to propel itself through the water like a giant manta ray while it sifts plankton with its array of needle sharp teeth. To begin with the researchers tried to create a vehicle that flew through the water although this proved to slow and delicate to be practical resulting in a smaller model based of the aerosaur’s young which had a smaller triangular body shape. This shape was eventually used in the Tier V Sub Fighter’s chassis which was coupled with a spinning tail to provide thrust. :In 2540 infestations of Doldrum Riders provided another inspiration for the latest variant of Eagle Ray Sub-fighters. When threatened the rider created a cloud of bio-luminescent pigments which blinded the attacked allowing the rider to withdraw into its bony shell only leaving a pair of thorny tentacles exposed. Tests in the labs and field showed that manufactured inks and pigments worked as well against enemy infantry and were attached to the Tier V1.4 to allow it to emit a thick smokescreen that reduced the danger of attack when turning. Development History :Development on a Tier Q Sub Bomber started in 2108 where it was intended to be a giant sub bomber armed with various bombs and torpedoes for anti ship and anti fortress roles. By 2129 the problems with drag, engineering the wing and steering control led to the project being downscaled so only a few members of the Granchio Research Initiative were working on the project. Interest increased during the 4th Granchio Civil War with concepts of a small and agile Tier V Sub Fighter were produced in 2137. Granchio Command quickly approved the ideas with around 300 Tier V.5 Prototypes ready for service in 2139. :This model proved to be successful and was retired in 2144 to make way for the Tier V1 Sub Fighter which had improved durability and none of the computer faults that the prototype processed. A century later new models such as the V1.1 were introduced which featured a safer landing mechanism due to accidents in refuelling. Successive models had advanced sensors and later more fuel efficient hydrogen cells which eventually led to the most recent advanced model the Tier V1.4, complete with ink releasing chambers, being introduced in 2548 although performance records of the Tier V3 Advanced Sub Fighter during Operation BLUESEA may render the V1 obsolete. Combat History :The various models and variants of the Tier V Sub Fighter have been in combat use over a 500 year period. Due to the bureaucracy that the Granchio show as well as their love for efficacy the Tier V has had a ‘baptism of fire’ like the majority of Granchio technology. The combat score for the Tier V is highest against larger carrier subs and bomber sub fighters due to its relative agility compared to opposition. Each Granchio Pilot pilots a single sub-fighter although many pilots may be assigned to a single fighter. As such the cockpit is often decorated with a wide variety of good luck charms and spoils of war leading to the Tier V viewed more as a steed then a piece of equipment by those who drive them. With an active service life of 11 years before retirement the Tier V was easy to fix and maintain with the majority of the parts stored in repair stations. 4th Granchio Civil War :The Tier V.5 Sub Fighter arrived in the last year of civil war in 2139 where they were thrown into the bloodiest and most desperate conflicts of the war. There first battle was the Massacre at Devil’s Gap where they with thirty sub fighters went to the aid of an Elite Granchio Hawker unit resulting in their barbarian opposition being destroyed down to the last man, although the Hawkers and Sub Fighters had advanced weaponry as well as the high ground. At the end of the year out of 300 Sub Fighters deployed, 23 Sub-fighters were destroyed and 30 were severally damaged. As such the Command Structure foreword plans for mass production of the V1 Sub Fighter which would be used in the colonization of the Granchio Crown Worlds. As such they were larger unopposed by the aboriginal populations although the Dumiya on Dutse were well known for their high kill level of Tier V.1s and later V.2s. Covenant Invasion of Clax :While the Granchio enjoyed expansion and colonization of the Crown Worlds they were visited by the Covenant in the year 2356AD. As the Covenant Invasion of Clax began the Tier V Sub Fighter was held in reserve for the time when the Covenant would have to enter the seas to find the Oracle they were searching for. In 2358 the Covenant had their first devastating conflict with the Granchio Sub-surface forces as well as their vehicles. The Tier V1.2 was commonly used and due to the unreliability of plasma weapons in a liquid medium was a deadly threat to the hastily developed Covenant Submarines and Ships. :During the conflict the Elites worked on ways to open and hijack Eagle Ray Sub-fighters using speciality adapted solvent used by the Granchio to gain an advantage. The Granchio countered this after they discovered an Elite Pilot in a damaged Tier V Sub Fighter, by installing DNA scanners that activated detonators in the ordinance bays if non Granchio pilots entered the cockpit. As such the Covenant lost their minor advantage and the war continued until the Granchio Command and the Elite Prisoner Katus Jadeen drafted and presented a peace treaty to the High Prophets. Operation BLUESEA :The new Tier V1.4 as well as several new variants of the Eagle Ray were used as defensive fighters by the Granchio during the UNSC Operation BLUESEA. Although the UNSC had a superior nautical fleet to the Covenant the Granchio still outclassed and outnumbered the forces the attackers could bring to the battlefield. The UNSC Mantis Shrimp Gun Sled was first used in this conflict and was billed to be a match for the Eagle Ray. Despite this A66 crews were considered moving target practice by Eagle Ray pilots often joking that the UNSC carried more about money then their people’s blood. After UNSC prisoners were captured and shown to 931 Patient Quadrant he revealed that they were the true reclaimers promoting the Granchio populous to suggest a cease fire. In 8/10/2562 the Granchio surrendered to the UNSC. During this ceasefire the Tier V Sub Fighter were used to display the Granchio symbol of peace to the UNSC forces to further emphasize this message. Armament and Armor :The general armament of the Eagle Ray consisted of torpedoes and smooth bore canons designed for use underwater. The canons were based on the larger artillery models and used a stabilized canon-shell for ammunition. With a range of 850m this weapon was generally used as an anti-infantry weapon although it had the potential to inflict serious damage to opposing vehicles and fortifications. In the Tier V.1 and all variants after this model the canons could be removed from the wings and replaced with other payloads and equipments. Common weapons attached to the Tier V included Tier I Ship Mines, Thermite Bombs and additional search lights allowing the Eagle Ray to be fit into various roles when required. :The main anti vehicle weapons were torpedoes similar to the ones launcher from the Tier J Torpedo Launcher and with a range of 7 miles could fire multiple torpedoes before passing the target. The torpedoes themselves were powered by a Silver Oxide Battery which requires less maintenance and didn’t leave trails of bubbles back to the launch site. In addition to the stealth abilities of the torpedo they could also track moving targets using wake sensors to follow a ship back to its location. The storage of the torpedoes in the ordinance bays resulted in three racks of five being placed in each wing. Mechanized systems moved the torpedoes into firing positions allowing six torpedoes, three from each wing, to be shot at a time with all thirty stored on board the Tier V to be released within a minute and twenty seconds. Tier C2 Assault Stave :A more unusual weapon favoured by some Granchio was a variant of the Taser Halberd known as the C2 or Taser Ram. As the name suggests this weapon was used for ramming and impaling smaller ships and infantry. The ram could immobilize enemy infantry and craft by firing an electric pulse, usually stored from energy generated by releasing the torpedoes into the target. While unorthodox this weapon was effective practically against the UNSC, although versions with this equipment were not produced as much as the standard model. The ram as well as wings full of explosives were used in the V5 Kamikaze Sub-fighter to anchor the craft in the hulls of larger vessels. Armor Systems :All the materials used in the construction of the Tier V Sub Fighter were designed for defence against pressure. With a maximum reachable depth of 1400m the Tier V uses the titanium and Perspex to prevent the craft from deforming while the steel plating allows a quick decent and also provides protection from small arms fire and grenades. Sensors in the armor plating can reveal damage or breached segments to the pilot making the lives of repair crews easier due to the fault or damage already located. While not armor per say the cockpit features pressure suits with re-breathers as well as an gas powered ejector mechanism allowing the pilot to bail out if the Eagle Ray is badly damaged. Tier A Defensive Weapon :The newest version of all Tier V craft, with the exception of the V2 and V5, had a Portable Smokescreen to allow the vessel to escape of turn to make a surprise attack. This weapon was deployed by the pilot and was ejected from the back of the craft as a thick ink like substance that when fired at flashed blue causing temporary blindness to the attacker. Although this defence was useful it did create problems during Operation BLUESEA as it failed to discourage homing projectiles. The Tier V3 ‘Super Eagle Ray’ was fitted with a second defensive weapon that ignited the ink causing a loud exothermic reaction that could confuse the acoustic tracking UNSC torpedoes. Variants Tier V2 Training Sub-fighter :Training V models were upgraded with the V1s and were externally identical to the combat sub-fighter. Inside the wings the canons and torpedoes were removed with ballast inserted to simulate the weight of ammunition. In addition the cockpit was larger and featured a second chair for an ‘elder’ to oversee the training of a new recruit. Modified V2s were given to the Brutes during Operation BLUESEA to bolster their aquatic forces although they were rarely used due to the uncomfortable pilot chair. Tier V3 ‘Super Eagle Ray’ Advanced Sub Fighter :Field tested during Operation BLUESEA the V3 was more responsive and faster, due to advanced engine system. In addition various types of torpedoes and rockets were carried in a new storage rack allowing the pilot more flexibility when attacking targets. One draw back was the canons had been replaced with chaff launchers to confuse enemy torpedoes which meant that the V3 had a shorter combat flight time then the V1. Despite this the V3 was favoured over the V1 by Granchio Army Command and was renamed the Tier V Advanced Sub Fighter shortly before the ceasefire between the UNSC and Granchio. Mass production of the Super Eagle Ray Fighter began in 2570 although it never completely out phased the V1 model. Tier V4 ‘Stingray’ Sub Fighter-Bomber :Designed in 2491 the Stingray Sub Bomber was designed to attack fortifications using a wide array of explosives and gas weapons. Fortunately for the UNSC the new more advanced V4.1s were still in production which eliminated the slower speed of the original model. Despite this the V4 Stingray was still a deadly vehicle especially when flown in mixed formations of V1 Eagle Rays and modified Guitar Fish Supply Subs. Tier V5 Kamikaze Sub Fighter :The V5 was a stripped down V1 or V2 with the wings full of explosive materials. Designed to be ‘pinned’ into the hull of a large vehicle the V5 was piloted by some of the bravest Granchio known by the UNSC as the Hell Rider Squadron. The aim of the pilot was to reach the ship and then in the last 250m jettison from the cockpit in a pressure suit while the pilotless sub-fighter continued before remote activated by a pressure sensor mounted under the ram. As such the Hell Riders often had a short life span although the surviving aces were often immortalized as Heros. Pilot Compatibility :*Granchio :*Elites (Pre Scanner Variants) :*Brutes :*Marines UNSC Comments : “The Tier V Sub-fighter is the main threat to our mission marines. Try targeting the dimples in the wings to cause the ordinance to detonate taking the foxtrot driving it straight to hell.” : “The Eagle Ray is like a shark; sleek, majestic, awe inspiring and totally deadly as it comes towards you.” : “The torpedoes are always silent till they detonate but if you survive you will usually have an Eagle Ray attached to the other end and ready to take a second shot at you” Trivia *The structure and role of the Tier V Sub Fighter is loosely based on modern submarines and real life Manta and Eagle Rays Category:Granchio